Windows 11 build 26040 introduces a revamped design to the Windows setup screen, featuring a white background and refreshed UI elements. A notable addition is the Voice Clarity feature, enhancing the audio quality in video calls and meetings by effectively eliminating background noise and echo. Additionally, the Narrator in Windows 11 now boasts improved image consumption capabilities, allowing users to navigate between images using convenient keyboard shortcuts and enhanced text recognition.
Windows setup on your PC has maintained a consistent look for over a decade, but a significant shift is underway. Microsoft has recently rolled out a fresh Windows 11 build to Insiders in the Canary channel, bringing an entirely new design to the setup experience. This update also includes a range of additional features and changes, marking a notable departure from the traditional setup appearance.
Windows Setup Unveils Refreshed Look in Latest Update
Windows 11 build 26040 brings a completely revamped Windows setup screen, breaking away from the nearly identical design that has persisted since the launch of Windows 8. The familiar classic purple background with a window border reminiscent of Windows 7 has remained unchanged throughout Windows 10 and early Windows 11 builds, but this update introduces a fresh and modern look to the setup experience.
In this latest build, a new visual experience unfolds with a white background and various UI enhancements for the Windows setup. Notably, there’s a more prominent option to repair the PC instead of opting for a new Windows 11 installation. Additionally, users now encounter a confirmation prompt, ensuring awareness that installing Windows 11 entails the deletion of all data on the computer. While the window border design remains consistent, these changes offer a more user-friendly and informative setup process.
Enhanced Audio Experience: Windows 11 Improves Your Sound Quality
In this latest build, a notable addition is the Voice Clarity feature, aimed at improving the quality of your voice in video calls, meetings, and any communication-focused app utilizing the Communications Signal Processing Mode. By effectively eliminating background noise and echo, Voice Clarity ensures that your voice comes across clearer to your audience. This enhancement proves particularly useful for a more refined and effective communication experience.
Voice Clarity comes pre-enabled for supported apps, offering an immediate improvement in voice quality. For added flexibility, apps have the option to include a toggle, allowing users to disable the feature. This is especially handy if you wish to play music or transmit other audio through your microphone without the concern of interference from Voice Clarity. This toggle ensures a customizable audio experience based on individual preferences and usage scenarios.
While Voice Clarity has been a feature on Surface devices in the past, the latest build extends its availability, making it accessible on virtually any laptop. This broadens the reach of the Voice Clarity feature, ensuring that users across a wider range of devices can benefit from enhanced voice quality during video calls and meetings.
Narrator Upgrade: Improved Image Experience
For users with specific accessibility needs, especially those relying on Narrator, there are significant improvements in this build. The Windows 11 Narrator now offers an enhanced image experience, allowing users to navigate between images using keyboard shortcuts and providing improved text recognition within images. This advancement ensures a more accurate and comprehensive narration of image content, benefiting those with visual impairments.
Moreover, Narrator now announces draft and resolved comments in Word, along with bookmarks and accessibility suggestions for the current document. A notable addition is the simultaneous use of Narrator and voice access, allowing users to open apps or interact with the screen using voice commands.
This build also introduces the capability to interact with Narrator through voice commands, such as instructing it to “speak faster.” These features collectively enhance the accessibility and usability of Windows 11 for a diverse range of users.
Windows LAPS New Features
Windows 11 build 26040 enhances the Windows Local Administrator Password Solution (LAPS) with new features. This includes an automatic account management feature for creating local managed accounts. The PasswordComplexity setting now goes up to 5, improving password readability. The password display interface has been updated for better clarity.
Windows LAPS in build 26040 introduces a passphrase option for admins to create easily repeatable longer passwords with real words. Admins can set the password length in characters and words. The update also enables LAPS to detect Windows image reversions, notifying users of a password mismatch until LAPS refreshes it, which may take days or weeks.
There are many more changes
Alongside these major updates, Windows 11 build 26040 incorporates numerous smaller changes, some of which were previously introduced in other channels. One notable addition is the ability to receive phone photos on your PC through notifications, a feature that was recently introduced in the Dev channel.
Windows 11 build 26040 introduces support for USB4 80Gbps (USB4 version 2) and unveils a new Cast experience, promoting multitasking efficiency.
In addition to these, several smaller changes are present, including the removal of WordPad during a clean install and the relocation of Copilot to the left corner of the screen.
Notably, there are also fresh updates, such as a redesigned Task Manager icon that seamlessly aligns with the Windows 11 design language, providing a visually enhanced experience.
Microsoft introduces new file compression options in Windows 11 build 26040, allowing users to customize compression levels, formats, and other settings for compressed archives. The Share button in Windows 11 share window-enabled browsers now provides direct sharing options for Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp, LinkedIn, and Gmail. Moreover, users with Microsoft Entra ID can now directly share items to a Teams channel, enhancing collaboration capabilities.
Windows 11 build 26040 brings substantial performance improvements to Nearby Share, resulting in faster file transfers between devices on the same network.
As is customary in the Insider program, the build includes a set of known issues and fixes, particularly in the Canary channel, underscoring the iterative nature of these preview releases.